This invention relates to ambulance cots and more particularly with improvements to multi-level roll-in cots capable of being used in different types of emergency vehicles having cot-receiving floors.
Ambulance cots typically comprise an essentially rectangular patient support frame with wheeled collapsible-leg assemblies enabling the stretcher to be stowed or loaded into the back of an ambulance. Examples of such prior art cots are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,097,941, 4,192,541, 4,767,148, 5,537,700, and 5,575,026. Although the prior art cots have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all aspects. Such ambulance cots are not always suited to accommodate the medical needs of persons with large bodies. Often it is difficult to place a large-bodied patient in such conventional cots, and sometimes these cots cannot accommodate such large-bodied persons at all. In those situations, a portable stretcher is typically placed on top of such an ambulance cot in an unsecured or jerry-rigged fashion. However, for obvious reasons the lack of a means to safely and securely transport such large-bodied patient on these conventional cots can degrade the quality of medical care provided to them.
Once such a large-body patient is loaded into the cot, the disproportionate size of the patient and the compact nature of both conventional stretchers and ambulance cots often provide little extra space for emergency equipment, such as oxygen tanks, intravenous medications, cardio monitors and the like which are required for immediate treatment. These devices are often placed on the empty spaces of the cot""s mattress without compromising the patient carried thereon. However, with such a large-bodied patient, the lack of available mattress space can lead to distractions to the emergency attendants, clutter in the transport vehicle, and general difficulty during transportation of the patient.
Further, the compact nature of such conventional ambulance cot provides little extra side rail surfaces by which extra attendants can grip and lift such cots into the transport deck of an emergency vehicle when carrying such a large-body patient. This lack of convenient handling/gripping surfaces therefore requires the attendants to either compromise the normal handling/gripping surfaces or find an available side-rail surface in order to increase the number of attendants lifting the cot. As a result, the attendants are often unevenly distributed or bunched up around the cot placing strain and unnecessary stress on the attendants because of the often, uneven handling/lifting of the cot. Strains and stresses are also placed on the patient as well as the stretcher undercarriage by this uneven handling/lifting of the cot during loading. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an ambulance cot arrangement which alleviates or at least ameliorates such difficulties.
The present invention alleviates or at least ameliorates the above-mentioned difficulties by providing a simple arrangement that conveniently provides additional side handling/lifting surfaces to a cot construction. Cot constructions of the present invention include a cot frame supported by a stable undercarriage, which permit the cot frame to be raised and lowered to a plurality of positions of use. The cot frame may be provided with integral patient support features, such as positionable back, leg, and side arm supports, or may be provided with a removable patient support structure which is detachably secured to the cot frame. Where a removable patient support structure or top is provided, the cot frame is provided with locking mechanism, which automatically locks the removable top to the cot frame when the top is seated on the frame, readily, accessible release means being provided to permit rapid detachment of the top from the cot frame.
In order to expand the handling/lifting ability of attendants around the cot frame, at least one transverse cot frame member slidable houses a pair of side-arm extensions according to the present invention. Such an arrangement provides the cot constructions of the present invention with extra side handling/lift surfaces without compromising the existing handling/lifting surfaces. Accordingly, the cot constructions may be loading directly into an emergency vehicle in a controlled and more-evenly spaced fashion when carrying a large-bodied patient thereon, thereby reducing the stress adds strain on the attendants, the patient, and the cot frame.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an elevating cot adapted to be rolled into emergency vehicles is disclosed. The cot comprises a generally rectangular cot frame having a leading end and a trailing end, and a pair of side extension arms provided to the cot frame between the leading end and the trailing end. Each of the side extension arms is adapted to slidably extend outwardly from a stowed position adjacent the cot frame to an extended position substantially perpendicular to the cot frame.
In another embodiment of the present invention, an elevating cot adapted to be rolled into emergency vehicles is disclosed. The cot comprises a generally rectangular undercarriage having wheels, a generally rectangular cot frame having a leading end and a trailing end, leg members interconnecting the cot frame and the undercarriage, and a latching device adapted to selectively secure the leg members in a plurality of elevational positions. A pair of side extension arms is provided to the cot frame between the leading end and the trailing end. Each of the side extension arms is adapted to slidably extend outwardly from a stowed position adjacent the cot frame to an extended position substantially perpendicular to the cot frame.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, an elevating cot adapted to be rolled into emergency vehicles is disclosed. The cot comprises a generally rectangular undercarriage having a leading end and a trailing end, wheels affixed to the undercarriage, and a generally rectangular cot frame overlying the undercarriage. The cot frame has a leading end and a trailing end. Co-acting pairs of complementary cross-forming frame members extend between and interconnect the cot frame and the undercarriage. Each of the pairs of frame members comprises a first frame member of fixed length and a second frame member having an extensible section at its lowermost end. A latching device is adapted to selectively secure the cross-forming members in a plurality of elevational positions. A pair of side extension arms is provided to the cot frame between the leading end and the trailing end, each of the side extension arms is adapted to slidably extend outwardly from a stowed position adjacent the cot frame to an extended position substantially perpendicular to the cot frame.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of some embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the scope of the claims is defined by the recitations therein, and not by the specific discussion of features and advantages set forth in the present description.